I showed Junior the shitmydadsays twitter site thing, and, well, it was inevitable... This is what he was apparently doing last weekend while I was being sick and boring (and losing my ass on football, as usual).
Note: Junior is 10 and he doesn't exactly have real solid blogging skills yet, but it's evident in some of the short posts that he could develop into an astute writer.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Past performance is not indicative of future results
I have this theory that the New England Chiefs faked Cassel's injury. I also think maybe they sandbagged the whole pre-season by playing even worse than they really are. Plus, I think they are desperately working on a plan to steal signals or otherwise cheat against Baltimore. For those reasons, I am taking the 13 points and going with the Chiefs on Sunday.
After doing a great deal of analysis (really), I have three slam dunk games in college football this week: Army -2 over Duke, UAB -11 over SMU, and TCU -11 over Virginia. Obviously, these aren't sexy games in terms of fan appeal, but they have excellent gambling potential. Bet heavily on all three individually -- and play the three-team parlay, if you want. Easy money.
As for the Big 12 games, I'm taking...
Iowa State +7 over Iowa. (Iowa always starts out really bad and then gets really good at the end of the season.)
Texas -33 over Wyoming.
Missouri -18 over Bowling Green. (Go Gabbert!)
KU -11 over UTEP. (UTEP got beat at home by Buffalo last week.)
Houston +15 over Oklahoma State. (OSU might have a let down after last week, and Houston is really good.)
Nebraska -23 over Arkansas State. (Seems like the spread should be higher.)
Louisiana Lafayette +7 over Kansas State. (The game is in La. KSU sucks.)
P.S. Not sure what the line is on the Colorado game, but I'd hate to be betting on the Buffaloes at this point.
P.P.S. If the over/under on Royals losses is 100 -- take the over!
After doing a great deal of analysis (really), I have three slam dunk games in college football this week: Army -2 over Duke, UAB -11 over SMU, and TCU -11 over Virginia. Obviously, these aren't sexy games in terms of fan appeal, but they have excellent gambling potential. Bet heavily on all three individually -- and play the three-team parlay, if you want. Easy money.
As for the Big 12 games, I'm taking...
Iowa State +7 over Iowa. (Iowa always starts out really bad and then gets really good at the end of the season.)
Texas -33 over Wyoming.
Missouri -18 over Bowling Green. (Go Gabbert!)
KU -11 over UTEP. (UTEP got beat at home by Buffalo last week.)
Houston +15 over Oklahoma State. (OSU might have a let down after last week, and Houston is really good.)
Nebraska -23 over Arkansas State. (Seems like the spread should be higher.)
Louisiana Lafayette +7 over Kansas State. (The game is in La. KSU sucks.)
P.S. Not sure what the line is on the Colorado game, but I'd hate to be betting on the Buffaloes at this point.
P.P.S. If the over/under on Royals losses is 100 -- take the over!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Our Labor Day has come and gone
Just like that, I'm overly stoked for Mizzou football: 2009/2010 National Champs!
There were two Big 12 teams that looked like shit in their first games: Oklahoma and Kansas State. Make that three: Colorado.
Junior turns 10 tomorrow. He was born on 9-9-99.
We more or less celebrated all weekend. He got some new golf clubs and an iPod. We also played a vigorous game of football. These backyard games tend to break out during football season after I've had a couple of beers, maybe seven. I always go all out and hurt myself. This time, in addition to the typical muscle pulls, I think I got a cracked rib.
If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and follow it. Probably the best use of Twitter ever.
I'm thinking about tweeting "Stuff My Son Says." Yesterday's entry would have been: "Dad, I'm going over to A.J.'s to play poker."
P.S. Billy Butler is good. Maybe not Blaine Gabbert good, but definitely good.
There were two Big 12 teams that looked like shit in their first games: Oklahoma and Kansas State. Make that three: Colorado.
Junior turns 10 tomorrow. He was born on 9-9-99.
We more or less celebrated all weekend. He got some new golf clubs and an iPod. We also played a vigorous game of football. These backyard games tend to break out during football season after I've had a couple of beers, maybe seven. I always go all out and hurt myself. This time, in addition to the typical muscle pulls, I think I got a cracked rib.
If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and follow it. Probably the best use of Twitter ever.
I'm thinking about tweeting "Stuff My Son Says." Yesterday's entry would have been: "Dad, I'm going over to A.J.'s to play poker."
P.S. Billy Butler is good. Maybe not Blaine Gabbert good, but definitely good.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Matriculating the ball down the field
Today's Facebook status: Is Hank Stram dead? I bet he could teach the Chiefs how to matriculate the ball down the field and, you know, score touchdowns.
Let's see. What's going on? Well, I took my car in yesterday to get a power steering fluid leak fixed, and somehow this is going to cost me $600. (Maybe I should put that on Facebook too?) I wish my employer offered health car insurance for my automobile. Or maybe the government should pay for the repairs I can't afford?
Seriously, how do people afford to live in this country?
Thank God I have beer and now football to make life worth living. Only there's this: my teams are the Chiefs, Mizzou and K-State.
Speaking of Facebook (and football), lots of my "friends" are apparently rabid Huskers fans. I find this disturbing. In recent years, I have come to hate the Huskers even more than the Jayhawks.
The best games tomorrow are on at the same time: Mizzoui vs. Illinois and Oklahoma State vs. Georgia. Those games should be highly revealing.
P.S. I once put on a Nebraska football jersey. It instantly lowered my IQ and gave me the sudden urge to fumble.
P.P.S. This has been pointed out before, but all of the young guys who actually have some value on the Royals are Baird players (except Soria), including Greinke, Butler, Gordon, Teahen and Dejesus.
P.P.P.S. I almost forgot about Dayton's most recent comments in the Star! He really is the kind of sniveling jerk boss who takes credit for good things and is quick to blame everyone and everything he can when things go to shit. He'd fire Hillman in a second if it made him look good. But he's not about to start admitting mistakes.
Let's see. What's going on? Well, I took my car in yesterday to get a power steering fluid leak fixed, and somehow this is going to cost me $600. (Maybe I should put that on Facebook too?) I wish my employer offered health car insurance for my automobile. Or maybe the government should pay for the repairs I can't afford?
Seriously, how do people afford to live in this country?
Thank God I have beer and now football to make life worth living. Only there's this: my teams are the Chiefs, Mizzou and K-State.
Speaking of Facebook (and football), lots of my "friends" are apparently rabid Huskers fans. I find this disturbing. In recent years, I have come to hate the Huskers even more than the Jayhawks.
The best games tomorrow are on at the same time: Mizzoui vs. Illinois and Oklahoma State vs. Georgia. Those games should be highly revealing.
P.S. I once put on a Nebraska football jersey. It instantly lowered my IQ and gave me the sudden urge to fumble.
P.P.S. This has been pointed out before, but all of the young guys who actually have some value on the Royals are Baird players (except Soria), including Greinke, Butler, Gordon, Teahen and Dejesus.
P.P.P.S. I almost forgot about Dayton's most recent comments in the Star! He really is the kind of sniveling jerk boss who takes credit for good things and is quick to blame everyone and everything he can when things go to shit. He'd fire Hillman in a second if it made him look good. But he's not about to start admitting mistakes.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Defensive thinking
The other day, Joe Posnanski (I think) was discussing alternative strategies to make a team like the Royals competitive. His idea was to go out and get the best defensive player possible at as many positions as possible, and try to win that way. The Royals aren't going to get rid of Betancourt (even though guys like Scutaro and J.J. Hardy will be available in the off-season) and there are other roster realities that must be considered. But they could conceivably field a MUCH better defensive team in 2010 without taking away any offense (how could you possibly take away any more offense from this team?). Here are some guys with nice defensive repuations that will or might be available: Bengie Molina (catcher), Chone Figgins (3B/2B), Adrian Beltre (3B), Carlos Gomez (CF), Nick Swisher (RF), Scutaro, Hardy...
Molina is 35, so he's not the best option. Only at catcher, he probably is the best option. He has power and can catch. He doesn't have OBP skills, but, unlike Olivo, he's not a complete knuckle-head. He will be expensive, but we're already paying Olivo and Buck something like $6.5 million combined. If anybody's got a better catcher idea (I can live with Bryan Pena as the No. 2 catcher), I'd love to hear it. I just don't want Olivo and/or Buck on this team anymore.
For this defensive approach to work, the Royals would have to get rid of Callaspo, who can hit but is the worst fielder I've ever seen. So maybe sign Figgins. He's been playing a good 3B, but he should be a defensive upgrade at 2B as well. Figgins hits and gets on base. He might be expensive. Of course, Scutaro or Hardy would work too!
The Twins don't seem to be in love with Gomez, for good reason. He doesn't get on base, but, for a change, we're only worried about defense here. Gomez is fast and young. He would seem like a much better option in CF than somebody like Josh Anderson or Willy Taveras.
I've always liked Nick Swisher. He's still fairly young, he hits with power and gets on base, and he's versatile in the field. Plus, he's a switch hitter. I'd try to swing a deal for a guy like him and put him in RF.
To make room for these guys, non-tender or trade Jacobs, Teahen, Buck, Olivo and Callaspo. We've also got a couple of relief pitchers coming off the books.
The defense would look something like this:
C - Molina
3B - Gordon
SS - Betancourt
2B - Figgins
1B - Butler/Kila
LF - Dejesus
RF - Swisher
On the bench you'd probably have one or two defensive liabilities and another good fielder. These reserves would come from a group of Guillen (could platoon at DH), Bloomquist, Bryan Pena, Maier, and Aviles, assuming he comes back. (On some days you could have Gordon at 1B, Figgins at 3B, Aviles at 2B and Butler at DH.)
Yeah, I don't see this as a terribly uncoventional or unreasonable or expensive way to try to fix the Royals. The offensive would be better, the defense would be much better (though SS and 1B would still be weak), and it wouldn't cost THAT much.
You've still got a really nice collection of starting pitchers, and surely some of the farm hands (like Disco!) can come up and bolster the bullpen.
Maybe Dayton Moore has a similarly brilliant plan in mind. That's probably why he just got that big extension.
P.S. Didn't Mitch Maier start out as a catcher?
Molina is 35, so he's not the best option. Only at catcher, he probably is the best option. He has power and can catch. He doesn't have OBP skills, but, unlike Olivo, he's not a complete knuckle-head. He will be expensive, but we're already paying Olivo and Buck something like $6.5 million combined. If anybody's got a better catcher idea (I can live with Bryan Pena as the No. 2 catcher), I'd love to hear it. I just don't want Olivo and/or Buck on this team anymore.
For this defensive approach to work, the Royals would have to get rid of Callaspo, who can hit but is the worst fielder I've ever seen. So maybe sign Figgins. He's been playing a good 3B, but he should be a defensive upgrade at 2B as well. Figgins hits and gets on base. He might be expensive. Of course, Scutaro or Hardy would work too!
The Twins don't seem to be in love with Gomez, for good reason. He doesn't get on base, but, for a change, we're only worried about defense here. Gomez is fast and young. He would seem like a much better option in CF than somebody like Josh Anderson or Willy Taveras.
I've always liked Nick Swisher. He's still fairly young, he hits with power and gets on base, and he's versatile in the field. Plus, he's a switch hitter. I'd try to swing a deal for a guy like him and put him in RF.
To make room for these guys, non-tender or trade Jacobs, Teahen, Buck, Olivo and Callaspo. We've also got a couple of relief pitchers coming off the books.
The defense would look something like this:
C - Molina
3B - Gordon
SS - Betancourt
2B - Figgins
1B - Butler/Kila
LF - Dejesus
RF - Swisher
On the bench you'd probably have one or two defensive liabilities and another good fielder. These reserves would come from a group of Guillen (could platoon at DH), Bloomquist, Bryan Pena, Maier, and Aviles, assuming he comes back. (On some days you could have Gordon at 1B, Figgins at 3B, Aviles at 2B and Butler at DH.)
Yeah, I don't see this as a terribly uncoventional or unreasonable or expensive way to try to fix the Royals. The offensive would be better, the defense would be much better (though SS and 1B would still be weak), and it wouldn't cost THAT much.
You've still got a really nice collection of starting pitchers, and surely some of the farm hands (like Disco!) can come up and bolster the bullpen.
Maybe Dayton Moore has a similarly brilliant plan in mind. That's probably why he just got that big extension.
P.S. Didn't Mitch Maier start out as a catcher?
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